The long-term objective of this study is to examine force generation by hair cell cilia in the adult organ of Corti. Knowledge of cilia physiology is central to our understanding of cochlear transduction. Further, force generation by cilia is a likely source of mechanical energy input to the cochlea, and may therefore contribute to cochlear frequency selectivity and the generation of acoustic emissions. Specifically, the studies are designed to help develop a preparation to enable in vitro studies of cochlear hair cell cilia.
